Flannel Bush, Fremontodendron californicum

About Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum) 42 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Fremontodendron californicum, or California Flannelbush is one of the most spectacular of the native California shrubs. It is a fast growing evergreen shrub with fuzzy, flannel-like leaves and abundant, large yellow blossoms that bloom in the spring. Under ideal conditions, it can reach 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide in five years. Its geographic range is primarily in the foothills surrounding the Central Valley, the hills of the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area, and in the mountains of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges. It typically grows in sandy washes near seasonal creeks, or in chalky well-drained mountain hillsides that get plenty of rainfall.

For best results in landscaping applications, simulate California Flannelbush's natural environment by planting in a sunny spot, in well-draining sandy soil, about 10 feet from a creek or irrigated area or other moist area. If your soil is not naturally sandy, you can amend or replace the dirt around the plant with sand and get good results too. This plant is one of the most intolerant of all California natives to summer watering. After its first year, even indirectly watering this plant within a few feet of its trunk in the summer will usually kill it. On the other hand, if its long roots cannot reach out to a water source or moist area, it will often die during the warm summer months from lack of water. So site selection is extremely important for growing this plant. Hairs covering the leaves can irritate skin and eyes, and get caught in clothing if brushed, so best to keep this large plant away from walkways.

California Flannelbush is commonly available in nurseries. Popular hybrids of this plant and other Flannel Bush species include California Glory Flannel Bush, and Ken Taylor Flannel Bush.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

6 - 20 ft tall
20 ft wide

Form

Upright, Mounding, Rounded, Spreading, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None, Slight

Flower Color

Yellow, Orange

Flowering Season

Summer, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Bees, butterflies
Bee gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-streaked Saturnia Moth Saturnia albofasciataSaturnia albofasciata

Northern White-Skipper Heliopetes ericetorumHeliopetes ericetorum

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Tarache majorTarache major

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 42

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Sandy, gravelly, rocky or chalky, very well draining soils... Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 6 - 8

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

California Sycamore, Blue Elderberry, Oak, Manzanita species

Maintenance

Few problems with pests.. Avoid hard pruning. Cutting into the wood will often kill this plant..

Propagation?

Seeds normally require fire to germinate in nature, but can also be germinated by soaking in boiling hot water then refrigerating for 3 months before planting.

Sunset Zones?

4, 5, 6, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10, 11, 12, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry sandy washes or fast draining rocky or chalky hill sides. Near the coast it is found in chaparral. In inland mountains it may be found as part of ponderosa (yellow pine) woodland. In more arid high desert areas it may occur with pinyon/juniper woodland.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 5.8" - 67.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.68", Coldest Month: 28.2" - 55.0", Hottest Month: 49.8" - 83.5", Humidity: 0.46" - 34.30", Elevation: 43" - 10807"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Fremontodendron californicum ssp. californicum;Fremontodendron californicum ssp. napensis;Fremontodendron californicum ssp. californicum;Fremontodendron californicum ssp. napensis,Fremontodendron californicum ssp. californicum
Common Names: California Flannelbush

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Flannel Bush

Fremontodendron californicum

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Flannel BushFremontodendron californicum

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Flannel Bush

Fremontodendron californicum